The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa Duchesne) plant named ‘Florida127’. This new strawberry plant is distinguished by its ability to produce high early and total yields of fruit that are exceptionally and consistently large and sweetly flavored when grown in west central Florida. Asexual propagation was performed at Balm, Fla. where the selection was made and plants were tested. Contrast is made to ‘Strawberry Festival’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,739) and ‘Florida Radiance’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,363), currently the dominant varieties in Hillsborough County, Fla., for reliable description. This new variety is a promising candidate for commercial success because it produces very large, brightly colored, and easy-to-harvest fruit that are moderately firm and highly flavorful during the entire Florida market window.
This strawberry plant (genotype) originated in a strawberry breeding plot in Balm, Fla. The seed parent was ‘FL 05-107’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,042), a strawberry variety with high early-season yield potential, compact plant habit, and very firm fruit. The pollen parent was FL 02-58, an unreleased breeding selection with the ability to produce large fruit with excellent flavor. The seeds resulting from the controlled hybridization were germinated in a greenhouse, and the resulting seedlings were planted and allowed to produce daughter plants by asexual propagation (i.e. by runners). Four daughter plants from each seedling were transplanted to raised beds, where they fruited. ‘Florida127’ strawberry (as represented by four daughter plants from the original seedling) exhibited high yields and large fruit size, and therefore was selected for further evaluation. ‘Florida127’ was selection number 127 in the 2009-2010 stage 1 trial, and thus was given the breeding trial designation of FL 09-127. ‘Florida127’ has been asexually propagated annually by runners, and further test plantings have established that the vegetative and fruit characteristics of the propagules are identical to the initial daughter plants.